


No Time For Goodbyes

by TheElixir



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Alcohol, Bonding, Chaos, Character Death, Diamond Weapon, Emerald Weapon, Everyone is going crazy, Gen, Language, Lots of Cursing, Minor Depressing shit, Mother Obsession, No pairings - Freeform, Ruby Weapon, Rufus likes to blow shit up, Sapphire Weapon, Ultimate Weapon, Weapon Bonding, til death do us part
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-07-27 00:48:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7596799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheElixir/pseuds/TheElixir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>2/1/17: Chapters 1 & 2 are edited, 3 will be soon and 4 will be up shortly.</p><p>Kadaj, Loz and Yazoo are assigned to retrieve the ones who wronged Mother and Sephiroth to revive the Weapons. Cloud is too late to save Rufus who becomes bound to Diamond, and wants to show the world how powerful he truly is. Jenova uses Geostigma to talk to her new children, and is slowly driving them mad. How will the remaining members of AVALANCHE and Turks save the world when their very saviors are the ones causing the destruction?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Geostigma / Cure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or Advent Children.
> 
> Author’s Note: Although the Weapons explode, I’m altering it to wherever Cloud and gang slayed the Weapons is where their bodies rest. Slightly AU.
> 
> Updated: 1/28/2017. Corrected spelling and grammatical issues. Touched up the story cause it needed it. I LOVE Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV’s design for Diamond so I’m drawing inspiration from it.

  **~.~.~**

**Chapter 1**

**Geostigma / Cure**

**~.~.~**

Everybody knew Aeris - the kind woman, the flower girl, the healer. Even in the face of danger, of Shinra and Sephiroth, she stood strong and steady like the Planet she died for. Cloud spent jobless days, and nightmare filled nights in her church. Miraculously surviving the destruction, he kept up with the repairs except for the hole in the roof where they escaped from Reno all those years ago. Those sleepless nights when memories intermix and the pain from the Geostigma kept him awake, Cloud would look up at the stars, and think of Aeris. Her beautiful smile, and how he wished she was still here.

Even with all other uncertainties in the world, he knew he would always love her.

~.~.~

On the northern shores of Edge lies the great Diamond Weapon. The Planet begins its slow trek in reabsorbing the mako-created creature, but it would be centuries before the corpse dissolves completely. Its gray color dulled beneath the sun’s rays, armor heavily damaged and cracked from the Mako Canon’s bullet taking out the core. No one dared approach Diamond. People feared it would wake to bring another calamity while others simply wanted to forget their near deaths of Meteor. Nobody bothered the gravesite, leaving it and its brethren as monuments of human greed.

Not everyone agreed in such sentiment. Three men approach Diamond, each with matching silver hair and almost matching black leather outfits. Yazoo quietly snickers at the bloomed flowers outlining the beast.

“How the mighty fall,” he comments, brushing away stray silver hair from his face.

“How are we gonna get it up and runnin’ again?” inquires Loz, shaking his head as no ideas came to mind so he pouts.

“Patience, brother,” Kadaj grins at Loz. He steps up to Diamond, and touches its skeletal arm. The grin spreads wider as he imagines the Weapon marching upon the northern shores, shaking the continent with each step, and every human knowing they would die by its hand. Those massive shoulder jaws opening, and expelling pure mako energy to destroy the enemies of the Planet. Kadaj wanted to see it in person. He wanted to feel the thrum of energy echoing across as the humans die and return to the Lifestream on this dying planet. “Mother’s plan will not fail us. We will find her, and resurrect Sephiroth with Big Brother’s help.”

“And these dead things are gonna help us?”

“Oh Loz,” Yazoo interjects, “we’ll use them like toy soldiers. They just need batteries.”

“So what’s gonna power that thing?” Loz points at Diamond.

“The Heir.”

~.~.~ 

For three months every Friday morning, Rufus Shinra receives reports on three unidentified men lurking in Weapon locations. He wouldn't verbally agree, but Rufus is thankful that only AVALANCHE knows the location of Emerald. Only he and his Turks knew the resting place of Sapphire as they had carefully moved the body from Junon waters. Maybe now they can compromise on those secrets. Rufus felt his stomach turn like acid dissolving another layer of his stomach. Nothing good was going to come out of this; nothing ever did where Remnants, Sephiroth and Jenova are concern.

Rude informs the President that Cloud arrived, and Reno is escorting him into Healen Lodge, and to the office. Tseng and Elena are MIA, and the Turks were not taking any chances of an assassination or kidnapping happening. Rude and Reno are the only employees at the site; the others in Edge handling company business and continuing operations.

Security doors unlock themselves when Reno slides his card, and Cloud enters the office. The former SOLDIER gives the President the courtesy of not staring the blue-grey bruises staining his skin. Rufus notes Cloud looks paler with dark circles under his eyes. The two had taken medical exams a year and a half ago when the Geostigma epidemic broke out; the difference between them is staggering, but the end results would be the same.

Rufus is confined to a wheelchair, a soft blanket draped over his form to keep him warm, and bandages concealing his left eye and neck. To those who didn't know the ginger, they would say it's amazing he's lived this long with Stage 4 Geostigma. To those who do, they would say his stubbornness is the only reason he lives. Most would've succumb to the inevitable death early on.

Cloud cautiously approaches Rufus, his mako green eyes bright in the dim room. Rude takes Rufus’ blanket and drapes it gently over the man before opening the blinds allowing natural sunlight into the room. Cloud feels his skin itch when the light hits him, but he doesn't say a word. Instead, he chooses to study the photographs on the desk.

Crisp monochrome photos showcasing various angles of Diamond, Ruby and Ultimate Weapon. Some are old with the edges worn. Cait Sith took them no doubt with Moogle’s artificial eyes acting as the camera.

Some are Cloud standing on top of Ultimate Weapon, his sumptuous Ultima sword piercing the red orb of the dragon as it lies outside Cosmo Canyon. There are some far shots of Bahamut ZERO fighting the Weapon. He remembers the rush of power as he stood on ZERO’s left shoulder, combining their abilities to overcome Ultimate. It was one of the last times he felt truly alive, and not a puppet of Jenova or Hojo.

Ruby’s decapitated head lies in the desert of Gold Saucer. The body lies yards away, its Godzilla structure already sinking into soft areas of sinking sand. Vincent casually leaning against the head; his golden claw stain black. It was absurd the way the former Turk took off by himself after AVALANCHE finished battle strategies. Cloud and Vincent knew out of all the companions, they were the ones who were able to take down the respective Weapons without fear of their friends dying.

Diamond has the most photos with some showing Highwind patrolling the sky. The hole in its chest now a pool of pure mako as it slowly decomposes. It’s easy to spot from the rooftops of Edge, but nobody would go near it. Cloud himself had walked the expanse of Diamond, and he still feared its corpse.

There are no photos of Emerald or Sapphire. Emerald’s grave purposely kept from Cait Sith to not disclose it to Shinra, but now he may not be so sure. At each location are three men suspiciously akin to Sephiroth. They're touching and studying the Weapons. Nanaki hadn't reported any strangers investigating Ultimate. Rufus can see the same look on Cloud’s face of discomfort at the realization.

“Remnants of Sephiroth,” Rufus explains. “They were just sighted at Diamond, and that's why I called you.”

“The Weapons are dead, what use would they have with corpses?” Cloud inquires.

“Shits and giggles for all we know. The Remnants escaped Northern Crater four months ago. Thankfully they haven't been terrorizing people, but I would feel better if they did. We knew what we were up against with Sephiroth and Jenova. We know almost nothing about these three.”

“We don't need another Reunion.” Even as he said it, Cloud felt a hand brush against his mind, eerily similar to Sephiroth and Jenova did before they tried to control him. “Maybe they're harmless--” Rufus chokes out a low laugh at the comment. “I'm a delivery guy now. What do you expect me to do?” What was Rufus’ angle?

“Tseng and Elena are missing,” Reno unwillingly confesses. Cloud turns to face the second-in-command Turk. Fatigue in evident in his posture. “We know what we are. Those three are Sephiroth’s.”

“Call me when they become a problem,” says Cloud, and he shuffles past Reno, leaving the complex.

~.~.~

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated: 1/28/2017


	2. Diamond / Heir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Remnants visit President Shinra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or Advent Children.
> 
> Author’s Note: I got a new job this week, but hopefully I can finish editing Chapter 3 before tackling Chapter 4 before next Friday.
> 
> Updated 2/1/2017 for spelling, grammatical errors and because the chapter needed it. May sound a bit G Gundam-y.

 

**~.~.~**

**Chapter 2**

**Diamond / Heir**

**~.~.~**

Rufus isn't bothered by Cloud not taking the offer. Reno, Tseng and Elena’s mission at Northern Crater solidified the evidence of recent activity, and now Weapons are involved. Nothing was settling right, and each report brought more questions, and no answers. 

Rufus busies himself with paperwork, checking email, and handling private delicate matters. Rude closed the blinds, and Rufus could effectively work without the damn blanket getting in his way. He felt tired, and wanted to lie on his bed and sleep, but he may never wake up. Stage 4 Geostigma killed its victims by sucking nutrients and substance from the body until the person resembles a skeletal corpse though many died from other problems before their body could become such. Rufus fought the disease every step of the way, and pumped enough drugs in his system to keep him wired and alive.

Rude exits the office, and the locks click into place. This distracts Rufus long enough to hear the scuffle occurring in the lodge. The Remnants are here. Reno’s hollering can be heard before quickly silence. The President curses under his own breath, wishing not for the first time his body wasn't deteriorating so he could fight like a man, and not a carcass.

Rufus opens the front drawer to his desk, and pulls out a pistol. It doesn't have the same weight or kick as his beloved Shotgun, but hopefully it will delay the Remnants. Heavy footsteps stroll down the hallway, and stop in front of his office door. Rufus lifts the pistol, and aims. The door comes down in one swift kick, and Rufus fires. Loz barely misses the bullet, and his eyes flash dangerously green. He approaches Rufus, and easily knocks the pistol away. It clatters on the floor, and beyond reach.

The Shinra President glares up at the Remnant, and uncertainty grows as Loz smirks. Having grown up with the former General Sephiroth, Rufus can spot the shared traits in Loz, and it's heart stopping. Kadaj suddenly appears, and decides to take a seat on the desk, but not before swiping everything onto the floor. Miscellaneous paperwork scatters, and laptop smacks unhappily against the unforgiving wood.

“Now, now Rufus Shinra, somebody wants to see you,” Kadaj speaks, placing his feet on the wheelchair handrails. 

“Tell them to call my secretary for an appointment,” Rufus casually replies. He wasn’t going to be vexed by three children; he certainly wasn’t by his father or Hojo. Yazoo pops up to Rufus’ right, and far too close for the man’s comfort.

“Your carriage awaits,” the Remnant announces, and pokes Rufus’ forehead. The human didn’t have a chance to retort before the Sleep spell takes over, and his body slump against the wheelchair. Kadaj lifts the President over his shoulder, Yazoo laughing and Loz grinning for their victory. They exit Healen Lodge just as Rude and Reno recover.

~.~.~

Two years after recovering his former self, Cloud continues to have problems with his memory. Tifa doesn’t berate him if he can’t recall silly childhood incidents or if he says something that the true Cloud couldn’t have possibly known. Those days where he can’t distinguish one anamnesis from another, he travels to Zack’s gravesite, and meditates. 

He calms himself, and tries to separate what he knows is him - Cloud, the ex-member of Shinra’s army, hero and savior of the Planet, member of AVALANCHE, and more mundane titles. It becomes confusing when citizens and Shinra employees bombard him with questions that he as Cloud knew, and as Zack knew differently. These are the same people who called him a terrorist for blowing up reactors causing the chain reaction that nearly lead to everyone’s death. 

Those days when he has too much of Tifa’s good stuff he can reminisce his time as Hojo’s experiment, and as an unnumbered Sephiroth puppet. Sometimes he swears he can hear Jenova’s voice in his head, but that’s all crazy talk.

Cloud stands before the rusty buster blade symbolizing Zack’s grave. There’s an overcast, but his skin still itches, and there’s a dull ache in his left arm from the Geostigma tarnishing the pale skin. The entire arm is covered, and slowly making its way to his heart. He’s approaching Stage 3, and maybe live five more months before he ends up in the same condition as Rufus. The President’s organs will fail him, and he will ungracefully die on the surgical table as his organs burst and bleed from the inside.

Cloud laughs in dark humor at the situation. He’s not going to die by Sephiroth, Meteor or even in battle. A cursed disease will be the one to do him in. Was this redemption? Was this punishment for failing to save Aeris and Zack? Would he see them in the Lifestream or would his consciousness dissolve into nothingness? Questions he couldn’t answer, and the possible answers frighten him more than he let on.

Gunshots crack the silence, taking Cloud’s attention, and redirecting it to the dust trails heading north. Two motorcycles with silver and red colors standing out. Shit, Rufus wasn’t kidding. Cloud hops onto Fenrir, and rides towards the ruckus.

~.~.~

Loz howls as he drives towards the northern shores. Yazoo sitting behind him, Velvet Nightmare firing at Rude and Reno, but Yazoo is purposely missing. His sadistic tendencies reveal themselves, green eyes a brighter shade as he almost hits the bald one, but Rude dodges the attack. To the Remnants, this is all a game. They deliberately leave the second Hardy-Daytona so the Turks could catch up otherwise this wouldn’t be very fun at all.

The terrain is too uneven for Reno to properly stand so he favors casting Bolt to possibly short circuit the clone’s vehicle. To Loz’s credit, he’s evaded every Bolt, and it’s pissing Reno off. The Turk wants to fry them, but Kadaj might kill Rufus when he discovers his brothers harmed or even killed. Right now, Reno and Rude have to find a way to bypass their enemy, and rescue their President.

“Damn it,” the redhead curses. Cloud chooses this moment to ride up next to the Turks.

“So they’re the clones?” Cloud shouts over the roar of their motorcycles. Reno wants to smack Cloud with his Electric Rod.

“No shit Goldilocks.”

“Kadaj has Rufus,” Rude hollars.

“The big one is Loz and the beauty queen is Yazoo, yo. They’re headin’ towards Diamond. Think ya can slow ‘em down?”

“I got this,” Cloud promises. Adrenaline shoots through his veins at the thrill of battle, and a familiar smirk graces his face. There is no Geostigma or dark thoughts. It’s him, and his new opponents. Twisting his wrist, Fenrir speeds up, and he races forward. 

“Say hi to the bastards for me, yo!”

Fenrir’s right compartment opens, and Cloud draws Fusion Blade 3 and 4; a double-bladed buster blade with square cut outs on one side, and the other finely pointed. Reno returns to Bolt casting just as Yazoo looks back from reloading his weapon. Big Brother wasn’t suppose to make his entrance yet, but this wouldn’t change anything. Yazoo snaps his fingers, and three dark shadows charge towards their targets. The shadows becomes three dimensional as they shift into Shadow Creepers; one moves to the Shinra employees, and the others towards Cloud.

Cloud uses his left arm to steer Fenrir, and swings Fusion at the Creeper to his right. Slowing down, he stabs Fusion into the Creeper’s back killing it. It’s too easy he feels as he slays the other one effortlessly. 

Reno tries to smack the Creeper with his Rod, but its thick rodent skull prevents physical attacks from causing damage, and even the Rod’s electrical attribute wasn’t doing anything to stun the thing. He kicks the Creeper in the face nearly causing him and Rude to topple over. Cloud drives up from behind, and takes care of the third Shadow Creeper. The distraction successfully allows Loz and Yazoo to gain enough distance, and this pisses Reno enough.

“Fuck it.” Reno’s knees brace on either side of Rude as the second-in-command stands. The green materia brightens in his Electric Rod’s hilt. “Bolt 3!” Swinging his weapon in an downward arc, several bolts rain from the sky. They don’t strike the clones, but the impact, and electrical field created is enough to cause some damage, and short circuit their ride.

Cloud, Rude and Reno zoom past the Remnants. Yazoo frowns at the gesture Reno leaves.

 

~.~.~

Kadaj hosts Rufus over his right shoulder when he hears sounds of lightning. Turning around, he sees two dust trails heading this way. So Big Brother decided to join the party early. No matter; this won’t deter Mother’s plan in the slightest. Turning towards Diamond, he uses his enhanced speed and strength to leap onto the Weapon’s hand, arm then chest.

Kadaj sets Rufus at the edge of the wound, and steps back. The opening is massive, and three-fourths filled with glowing mako. Diamond’s armor is cracked from the impact making the entire chest cavity not at all safe to be standing on. At this height, he spots his brothers catching up, but they wouldn’t be able to prevent the Turks and Cloud from reaching Diamond. Rufus stirs awake. Kadaj’s face splits into a wide smile as Mother’s plan is coming together. Big Brother wouldn’t be able to prevent this calamity.

“Good, you’re finally waking up,” the Remnant greets, kneeling down. Rufus blinks open his right eye, grinding his teeth as he realizes that Kadaj kidnapped him. The President manages to sit up, and becomes acutely aware that they’re on top of Diamond near its head. “Would be a shame if you missed the party.”

“Fuck off,” the other man groans out. A sudden coughing fit distracts him as he leans forward. Rufus coughs into his right hand, and black mucus splatters in it.

“That’s not a nice thing to say to family.” Kadaj’s hearing picks up on two vehicles parking; it wouldn’t be too long before he’s interrupted.

“Did my father fuck your mother too?” Rufus grunts out in a raspy voice. The clone’s face narrows in anger, and he stands up as he roughly grabs the other man by his coat collars, and dangle him over the edge. Rufus snickers. “Don’t worry. Dad is dead and so is your mother.” 

Reno runs across the armored expanse towards Rufus. Kadaj, perhaps aware, lowers Rufus so the two are face-to-face. Anger replaced by something frightening, and the President is suddenly reminded that Kadaj is Sephiroth’s clone, and not a lackey.

“Say hi to Mother for me.”

Kadaj releases Rufus. In slow motion, the Shinra heir watches Reno try to dive in after him, but is kick back by Kadaj who summons Shadow Creepers to block Cloud and Rude from doing so as well.

Then, he’s drowning in mako. Its bone-chilling coldness causing him to open his mouth, but there’s no sound as he swallows the mako. Rufus feels himself sink, and he can only stare into the opening. Muscle deterioration prevents him from properly swimming and escaping. Ironic, and only proper for the true surviving heir of Shinra to die by the Planet’s hands. A bittersweet fate.

Powerless.

That’s how he would die.

Powerless.

Rufus is well acquainted with the word, but never associated it with himself. For any blood of Shinra, powerless is not a word to describe them. Not when his father punched him for being an undisciplined boy, not when his mother cruelly comments on how poorly he’s doing, and certainly not when it was him against the previous Shinra Board of Advisers.

No.

Rufus Shinra did not give up without a fight, and he would be damned if he died in a dead Weapon’s chest. In the pit of dark liquid, white orbs materialize, and illuminate. Hesitantly, he touches one, and it shifts beneath his fingers. He presses a little further, and suddenly it pricks his fingers, and slips beneath the skin. Rufus tries to scream, but he only swallows more mako as the other orbs repeat the action. One digs into his blind left eye, it’s touching his brain, and his mind is shutting down.

‘I can’t die here,’ he thinks as his good eye becomes heavy, and he feels himself slipping into unconsciousness.

_ Welcome home, my child. _

The voice sounds motherly. Not like his who only married his father for his money and influence. Rufus doesn’t recall his mother’s face or her voice, and it’s okay. He feels something warm holding him, and he opens his right eye. A blue skin woman has her arms around his shoulders with his head cradled on top of her bare breasts. He knows this woman, but he’s too tired to care. She’s holding an orb, but it’s not materia. Its center is a white starburst bleeding into a crimson. There’s power, and she’s giving it to him.

Power he wants.

Something is wrong; his instincts telling him to escape, and he ignores them in favor of touching the power.

_ I will protect you. _

And all goes dark.

~.~.~

Kadaj kicks Reno in the stomach, and the Turk flies. He lands at the base of Diamond’s neck, and a jagged edge slices deep into his right arm. Slowly standing, he curses as anger obstructs logical thinking. Rude isn’t faring much better. Loz tosses Rude into Cloud, and the two stumble close to the wound’s edge. Yazoo goes to shoot Rude, but Reno tackles the sharpshooter, and smacks that pretty face into the bone armor.

Then, Diamond begins to shake.

“Rufus.” Reno scrambles off the Remnant, and tries one more time to dive into that mako pool, but all he lands on is the enormous crimson orb making up the Weapon’s heart. He slams his fists down, but his attacks are in vain. Reno feels vibrations as the sphere shines too brightly for him to see. When the light vanishes, he peers to see a figure coiled in white cords. Diamond shakes become violent as Reno struggles to stand up to stare at a crackling Kadaj. “What the fuck did ya do?!”

“Reunion is coming,” is all the Remnant says. 

Diamond begins sitting up; Cloud snatches the Turks, and helps them to stable ground as the clones leap unto Diamond’s shoulders. No doubt anyone from Edge and Midgar could see the massive Weapon rising, and no one could deny the old fear reviving itself. This was suppose to be over. They were suppose to be dead. Its right eye opens, and the creature moves its head as it takes in the scene. To solidify that fear, Diamond opens its mouth, and releases a roar that could be heard across the continent.

Diamond turns to face the shore, and walks towards it. Rude uses his jacket as a temporary wrap for Reno’s wound before hopping onto his bike. Cloud and Rude drive towards Edge, Reno using his left arm to hold unto Rude. The Turk turns, and looks at Diamond until it was out of sight.

~.~.~

The eccentric Turk is silent as Tifa stitches his right arm up. He mumbles curses at the pain before shooting down a shot of strong whiskey. There’s blood on his torn white button-up, and he quietly hopes it’s one of those silver haired bastards. Rude sits to his left, nursing his own scotch, and looking just as down as him. They failed to prevent a kidnapping, and now Rufus is inside a revived Diamond, and they don’t even know if he’s actually alive. Reno is pissed, but more so at himself than he’s willing to admit.

The bar is empty as Marlene and Denzel play guard at the doors to prevent anyone from coming in. Everyone's well aware who owns the bar, and they are more than happy not to get on Tifa’s bad side if they upset Marlene. Reno would’ve found the act cute if his right arm wasn’t hurting like a mother fucker.

Rude slips off the bar stool, and goes behind the counter to pour himself another drink. Through dark sunglasses, he studies Tifa; her elegant fingers effortlessly guiding the surgical needle through Reno’s skin to close the wound as she whispers Cura spells to aid the healing process. Rude finds it queer that those same hands fought against Sephiroth, Jenova, Shinra, and every enemy AVALANCHE came across. Now, she’s taking care of two kids, a bar and a grown man who decided living in an abandoned church was better living arrangements. He wants to tell her she’s more than just a barkeep and an adoptive mother, but he’s terrible with words, and instead drinks his scotch.

Cloud exits the back room as he slips his phone into a pocket.

“I’m going to visit Vincent,” he says as he makes his way to the exit. He opens the door, Denzel and Marlene turn to face him; arms crossed and chests puffed out.

“No, Cloud,” Marlene states, “you’re staying here.” She’s every bit her father’s daughter, and normally he wouldn’t argue with her, but there’s a serious matter to attend. Cloud turns his head to glance at Tifa, but she continues to stitch up the Turk. He turns back to the kids.

“I have to leave.”

“Sit down and shut up Cloud,” Reno commands, glaring at the blonde.

“Time to recover and plan,” Rude explains, stepping out from behind the counter. Cloud knew the man would sooner fight Cloud than have his partner’s injuries worsen. Failure is never a Turk option, and President Rufus kidnapped by Sephiroth’s groupies is enough to make one quit his job. Both Turks, perhaps the last of the Turks, knew if they charged now nothing would change.

Tifa finishes up the stitching, and wipes off the excess blood with a clean cloth. Taking the elastic wrap, she wraps Reno’s forearm to protect it.

“You’re all set Reno,” she says standing up to take the medical supplies to the back. “Rude is right Cloud. We don’t even know where the Remnants are at, and if there’s more than just three.”

“So you’re gonna sit and wait?” Cloud baits, turning and taking a step at Reno.

“They’re likely at Northern Cave where we first spotted ‘em. ‘Sides, they won’t kill the President. Course, this could be the fine ass whiskey that’s cloggin’ my brain up, yo,” Reno comments, not taking the bait.

“We’re Turks, not heroes,” Rude adds as Tifa comes back and stands beside him.

“There’s no Sister Ray to take Diamond and Sapphire out. You defeated Ultimate by using Bahamut ZERO, and you nearly killed yourself by exerting your stamina. We don’t even know how Vincent killed Ruby,” she simply states. “We were stronger then because we were constantly training to defeat our enemies. Yuffie has most of our materia, and none of us are prepared for this.”

“You didn’t mention Emerald,” Reno points out, turning on the bar stool to look at the woman.

“We didn’t tell Shinra then, and we’re not telling the Turks now,” she says as she snatches her whiskey back. Reno groans, and sulks against the counter.

“I don’t understand why ya guys are keeping Emerald a secret. If we had the resources like we did before Meteor we could easily find the damn thing.”

“What’s the fun then?” Tifa winks at Rude who turns his head to hide the blush.

“Do you have a plan to rescue Rufus?” interrupts Cloud.

“Oh, now he wants to know! I give up on ya Goldilocks,” Reno half-heartedly insults.

“Don’t call me that.”

“Fuck off. Rude and I got this, right buddy?”

Rude shrugs and repositions his sunglasses.

~.~.~

Stage 4 Geostigma feels like someone is slowly puncturing his lungs with tiny nails. On good days, Rufus could almost breathe properly. Bad days invited chunks of black mucus and blood to decorate white handkerchiefs. When he wasn’t coughing, he had an oxygen tank beside him as he concentrates on financial formulas to calm his mind. None of the Turks spoke of his impending death, and they all continued peacefully given the circumstance. No one spoke of  _ when _ Rufus would die, and no one would. The Turks would be by their boss’ side until the end.

He’s leaning against something sturdy as he comes back to his senses. It wasn’t his wheelchair. Memories rush back as Kadaj ungracefully dumped him in Diamond’s mako pool. Power. A woman. He opens his eyes, and is blinded by the radiant mako he’s sitting in.

When his eyes adjust the brightness, he takes in his surroundings; a closed in cave--

_ Northern Cave. _

\-- and he’s currently at the edge of this colossal mako lake. There’s tunnels--

_ Kadaj. Loz. Yazoo. They’ll return soon. _

\-- leading somewhere. If they’re in Northern Cave then Tseng and Elena have to be somewhere. Surely they’re not dead.

_ I don’t know _ .

He’s suddenly lifted up, and comes face-to-face with Diamond’s crude cut face. Its right eye the same shade of red like the sphere he touched earlier. The left eye is dark, much like Rufus’ own having gone blind to the advancement of the Geostigma. There’s dark blots coating the armor; Rufus knows these were not on the Weapon before its awakening, and somehow he  _ knows _ the blemishes match the very ones on his own body.

“Can you talk?” Rufus inquires as he tries to readjust himself, but his body feels encumbered by an invisible force. Diamond slowly nods.

_ We speak through our bond.  _

It raises a claw, and carefully points at Rufus’ chest. The man looks down, and notices his shirt is open unveiling the same materia-like sphere. Reluctant, he touches it; the orb protrudes from his chest enough that it could be hidden with little struggle. If he recalls correctly, it’s no bigger than his hand. Brushing his fingers against the red and white starburst ball, a chill runs through him, but it doesn’t bother him as it did when he was sinking in the mako.

“How?”

_ She calls herself Mother. Her magic bound us together to revive me. _

Diamond’s mouth doesn’t move; it’s speaking into Rufus’ mind. Could he mentally reply back? Would they be able to telepathically communicate? It would be effective especially with his captors on the loose.

_ That orb keeps you alive. It’s healing your body. _

There goes any plan on removing it. Diamond moves its head, and the sound of footsteps reach Rufus’ ears. The Weapon moves Rufus to see a long haired Sephiroth clone--

_ Yazoo is what he’s called. _

Exiting one of the tunnels. He stops at the ledge, and there’s a pleasant smile on his face.

“You’re awake,” he comments, “Mother will be pleased. Surely she’s told you?”

“Jenova isn’t my mother,” Rufus states. He cries out as a sudden sharp pain slips through his head at the denial, and he grinds his teeth to prevent any more outbursts. After a minute, he picks his head up, and studies the Remnant. “Which clone are you? Fourteen? Sixteen? Or did Hojo forget to number you too?”

“Brave words from an undying man. You should thank Mother for allowing you to live, and giving you a part in her plan.”

“I don’t need a mother.” Yazoo softly laughs at Rufus who bites his lip to prevent another cry of pain.

“You’re funny, brother.” Shinra’s stomach tumbles with uneasiness at those words. The woman that held him… she couldn’t have been Jenova. She’s dead, wasted by Cloud and his friends, and decimated in the explosion afterwards. Somehow, he knows Yazoo isn’t lying, and the complaisant acceptance only means Jenova approved of Rufus. The dots connect, and the realization nearly causes him to hyperventilate. They were attacking the problem like a disease, and not an alien hellbent on destruction. “Geostigma is merely Mother and Sephiroth inside of you. Mother is the reason you and Diamond live, and are bonded. Soon, you’ll be better, and we will continue the plan. I’ll leave you three to get to know each other better.” Yazoo turns to leave. “See you soon, brother.”

~.~.~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated 2/1/2017


	3. Materia and Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy VII or Advent Children. Wish I did.
> 
> Warning: Language, cause, I like to curse.

**Chapter 3**  
**Materia / Plot**

~.~.~

Rufus isn’t sure when it started, but he could hear the heavy footfalls of a King Behemoth stalking above reclaiming dominance in its territory. Northern Cave functioned under a different preset than anything Rufus had read or traveled. However, thanks to Cait Sith’s reports and photographic eyes, the President theorized that the cave was reverting back to its pre-Sephiroth-defeated state. 

He wasn’t sure when it started, but he could hear the faint whispers of a woman; words of encouragement, of plans and how a wonderful son Rufus is going to be, but he would scoff, and tell the voice that he has no mother, and doesn’t want one. 

Time meant nothing here. Not with Geostigma and not with his wardens. The nights he spent in Diamond, mentally cursing his predicament and the powerless feeling drenching his body, he is okay. It was only in Diamond that he truly has peace, and the tentacles entering his body didn’t bother him as much. In the confines of Diamond, where he swallowed mako, and his senses awaken, Rufus feels safe, and under the lie that he would make it out of this alive. 

Maybe he would. Diamond’s thoughts enter his own, and Rufus didn’t quite understand the Weapons’ need to protect its killer. It couldn’t comprehend guilt, hatred, or regret. Rufus could, but that was neither here nor there. Diamond isn’t sure what’s going on either; only that it died, and knew its new bonding mate was the one who ordered its execution. Like Rufus, it too heard the woman’s voice, and confessed it may be the voice of the Planet. 

Rufus scoffs at the idea as it is only because of Jenova that the two are alive. If Diamond is revived then surely the other Weapons would be too. This made Diamond happy, and it didn’t mind the idea of Jenova controlling it. Rufus doesn’t understand the acceptance of being completely obedient. Diamond doesn’t understand the concept of having to be in control. 

What caught Rufus off guard the most are Yazoo’s visits; of course, this would happen when Rufus rested inside Diamond. He would calmly perch himself on Diamond’s shoulder, and just sit there. Despite the first conversation between the Remnant and President, the first silently kept to himself. Occasionally, he would peer into the lovely crimson orb, and stare intently into it. Deep within Diamond’s dark and comforting confines, with what felt like tubes extending from his body, Rufus heard Yazoo’s words. Talks of Mother, of Big Brother, and Sephiroth; of how thick-headed Kadaj is, and how dumb Loz proves himself to be. Rufus never mentions the visits.

~.~.~

On a random day when Rufus isn’t inside Diamond, Kadaj decides to join the Shinra President who dons cheap plain jeans and a short-sleeve pineapple button-up. Rufus didn’t know who designed the outfit or which Remnant picked the outfit, but he swore he was going to shove his shotgun in someone’s mouth and execute them himself. Rufus’ left eye is open, and shows what an eye infested with Geostigma looks like – black, glassy and overall disturbing. He didn’t have anything to conceal it, and could barely feel his eyelid as it is, though, it was worth scaring Loz away. 

Rufus is leaning against the palm of Diamond’s hand, his body and clothes drying from being submerged in mako. Honestly, he should have mako poisoning at this point. Maybe it was the Jenova cells combating it the same way it was spreading the Geostigma? 

“We’re going to revive all the Weapons,” Kadaj says casually, sitting across from Rufus. “Then, we’re going to bring back Mother and Sephiroth. Isn’t this exciting? You’ll get to finally meet Mother! Isn’t this wonderful?” Rufus notes, distastefully, that the former President would’ve loved Kadaj and his eagerness for war and death. This causes the heir to frown, and Kadaj to tilt his head just slightly to the side so his short silver hair blocks half his face. Child-like wonder, Rufus notes, but he knows better. Out of the three, Kadaj is the most unpredictable, and the most unstable. But, Rufus doesn’t give a damn.

“As wonderful as attending a Behemoth banquet,” Rufus replies. He’s pretty sure he’s made the same comment before, but couldn’t place where. “Whose invited?” Who else is going to be bonded to the Weapons is the unspoken question. Kadaj smiles.

“Those who have wronged Mother and Sephiroth of course. Mother told us what we need to know. President Rufus Shinra orders the Sister Ray to be moved from Junon to Midgar, and gives the order to kill Diamond.” The Weapon moves its head at the mention of its name, but doesn’t react to anything else. Rufus chuckles.

“That’s one hell of a list then. Your villains are dead, and only the heroes live.”

Professor Lucrecia Crescent. Professor Hojo. Professor Gast Faremis. Random members of SOLDIER and Shinra. The Cetra. Cloud Strife. Vincent Valentine. Zack Fair. Former President Shinra. Rufus Shinra. Scarlet. Heidegger. The Turks.

“Mother is going to take care of that. We both know you killed Sapphire. She has something she wants you to do.”

“I’m not doing anything for Jenova.” Kadaj’s child smile slowly turns into a frown. Then, he grabs Rufus’ hair, and throws the man across the large cavern. Rufus is smacked against the wall, and he lands unceremoniously on a rocky platform. Son of a bitch that hurts. Kadaj lands in front of Rufus. The Remnant kicks Rufus in the ribs, and watches as the Shinra heir rolls until his body hits a wall. Kadaj is right there, and picks Rufus up by the hair once more, but this time to shove the red head against the wall.

Rufus is having difficulty breathing, but, being the cocky bastard he is, grins at the other. Kadaj hates that fucking grin, and punches Rufus’ face. Rufus is taken back to a time when his father physically abused him.

Shinras do not make mistakes.

The expensive Wutian cigar and its ashes wouldn’t falter as his father smacked Rufus so hard it would leave a bruise. His mother stood away, her face blank, and her arms decorated in lovely jewelry crossed under her small breasts.

Shinras do not make mistakes.

Kadaj keeps punching Rufus – in the face and the stomach, but that fucking grin won’t go away! Kadaj is shouting something, but Rufus cannot hear it. He’s not in the present moment. He’s in the past watching his parents stand next to each other and talk about him.

Shinras do not fail.

His father lies on the floor with Sephiroth’s Masamune in his back.

Shinras do not lose power.

His mother is hanging from the ceiling by her son’s jump rope.

Shinras are never powerless.

Power…

You have power.

Rufus felt someone pick his child self up. Silver hair creates a curtain around him, creating a barrier between him and the corpses. It’s the gray skin woman again. Rufus is confused as the woman covers his right eye with her right hand.

I had your father killed. He cannot take power from you.

Rufus leans into the woman. She’s warm. Not cold like his parents.

I’ll be your Mother, Rufus. I’ll give you power. I won’t allow anyone to hurt you anymore.

Her words are soft, and Rufus feels himself slowly accepting her. Except he can’t. He’s spent so long relying on himself, on fear and on power; obedience is weakness. Rufus becomes angry at himself, and snaps out of whatever trance he fell under right as Kadaj punches him one more time in the stomach. 

Rufus is powerless. Geostigma made him powerless. It is Jenova’s the Planet’s fault. Was it Jenova Mother? Jenova. Mother. Planet. Geostigma. A loud ringing noise echoes in his head, and his face scrunches up in pain. Kadaj is saying something, but Rufus can’t understand the words. It’s hurting Rufus’ eardrums, and he wants silence. Rufus puts his hands over his ears.

Kadaj releases Rufus, who, unknowingly, stands on shaky legs. Rufus closes his eyes, and mumbles about the ringing noise, Mother, Planet and power. Kadaj isn’t quite sure what’s going on, but he’s sure Mother is handling it, right? Mother promised him that everything will work out in their favor. But, why doesn’t Mother talk to him like she does to Rufus? Hasn’t Kadaj been a good son too?

Angry, Kadaj goes to punch Rufus once more, but his fist is caught. What the fuck? Rufus’s left hand caught it, and the heir stands up fully. Ugly bruises form on his cheeks, but Rufus Shinra does not bleed. He does not cry. His good right eye glows, and the pupil shifts to a familiar cat-like slit. Kadaj feels heat emanating from the hand, and the young clone cannot help, but look down. Red tendrils swirls around Rufus’ hand, but there’s no Materia equipped. No one else on this planet should be able to use magic without Materia except for Mother. Kadaj withdraws, and takes a step back. Rufus’ left hand erupts in fire, and this makes Kadaj more angry. 

Only Mother can use magic without Materia, and Mother blessed this newborn with the ability? How come Kadaj has to use Materia, but this bastard heir doesn’t? In a very Loz-like fashion, Kadaj howls in frustration, and goes to punch Rufus once more, but his arm is stopped by Yazoo.

“I will handle this,” he says, his eyes never leaving Rufus’. Rufus is still angry, and filled with some sort of energy, and wants to release it. It’s burning up in his stomach, and traveling up his chest. It’s becoming harder to breathe.

He wants to burn something.

But what?

…

The world. 

He wants the world to know his power.

Rufus Shinra is no longer powerless, and he will show them.

He will incinerate his opponents.

The Planet gave him Geostigma.

He would set the Planet on fire.

The ringing in his head continues, but he ignores it. In a strange fashion, he laughs in a haunting manner that echoes throughout the cave. Yazoo’s mouth twitches in a smirk. For the first time since its arrival, Diamond moves his entire body. It walks over to Rufus, and gently picks up its bonding mate. The mako begins to glow brighter. Yazoo gracefully leaps unto Diamond’s right shoulder, and holds on.

The entire cave lights up as Diamond bursts forth from the cave.

~.~.~

“Come on Yuffie. Just let us borrow ‘em for a bit, and we promise to return ‘em,” Tifa tries to persuade the young ninja over the phone.

“Naw, I’m good Boobs. ‘Sides, whose ta say ya won’t return ‘em?”

“Guess we won’t share any new ones we find. What with the Planet healing itself, and new missions, there’s always the chance of findin’ more. If we hadn’t bred the Gold Chocobo then we wouldn’t have found Knights of the Round, remember?”

“My second favorite. Those beauties…”

“Who better to snatch up the new ones, but the Great Materia Hunter Yuffie?”

“You make a good point Boobs. Fine, I’ll come, and you guys can borrow ‘em, but ya betta give ‘em back, yo!”

“Promise Yuffie. See you soon!”

Tifa ends the call, slipping the phone back into her left pocket, and heads downstairs. She thinks she must’ve hit her head on something because the back of her head begins to ache. It could be the stress of everything, and now with an impending Sephiroth return, it’s easy to be caught up in the chaos that will come with that.

For the past fortnight, Rude and Reno had taken to staying at her place which the bartender didn’t mind. They didn’t mention where they were going or what they were doing, and Tifa didn’t question them. 

In return for staying there, Rude and Reno would help out at the bar. Reno encouraging the younger people to drink more, and Rude kindly escorting the cruder ones out the door. One customer made an off hand comment about Tifa’s large breasts, and before Rude could move, Tifa had kindly kicked the asshole out. Literally, she kicked him out, and the wooden guard rail broke due to the force. Reno whistled and gave a thumbs up. Rude could only stare. 

Marlene had taken a liking to Rude, and even strolled around wearing pink sunglasses. Denzel tried to mimic Reno which only went so far until Tifa heard Denzel curse then both men got soap in their mouths. 

After the bar closed, and all was cleaned up, Reno would grab the good beer and sit back in a booth. It was obvious he was taking the kidnapping pretty hard. It would probably be a couple more hours before the two showed back up.

Barret enters the bar; his large stature in thick muscle and dominating aura easy to make the weak people cower. It’s difficult to image that this man’s true weakness is a tiny child currently running towards him. Tifa smiles as the father-daughter duo laugh and greet each other. Barret comments about the sunglasses, and Marlene remarks about how Rude helped her take care of several bullies earlier that week. 

“You replacin’ me?” Barret says in mock sadness. Marlene laughs, and wraps her arms around her father’s neck.

“Nobody could replace you Dad!” The two share a special moment together.

You won’t be able to have that.

Tifa shakes her head to toss the thought out. Nobody had to know, and nobody was going to know.

“Cid and ‘em will be here in a few days. He’s going to pick up the rest of the gang,” she informs the two. Tifa leans against the doorway, keeping a good distance between them.

“That’s good. Least we know what we’re up against this time. Hopefully we won’t need Holy or the Planet ‘gain. Don’t think it can take another hit.”

“Let’s do our best to protect it then.”

~.~.~

Three days, and a ‘Closed’ sign hanging outside the second Seventh Heaven later, those responsible for the rise, the destruction and the fall of of Shinra and Sephiroth gather. Everyone is already updated on the situation.

Placing two tables side-by-side, Cid unrolls an up-to-date world map, and uses an ashtray and three knives to lay the corners flat. Cloud uses five broken materia pieces to use for Weapon placement. Red for Ruby on the outskirts of Golden Saucer. Yellow on the north eastern section of the continent for Diamond’s former resting place. Lastly, green to the west of Cosmo Canyon for Ultimate. There’s a blue and a purple, and both are placed in the center of the map. No one corrects this. Shinra did not know where Emerald laid, and the Saviors did not know where Shinra relocated Sapphire.

“As much as it pains me, if we’re havin’ another Reunion then we ta stop the secrets,” Barret starts. Where the map points north, Barret and Tifa occupy that space. Rude, Reno and Reeves take the eastern part; Nanaki, Cloud and Vincent the southern, and Cid and Yuffie the eastern part. 

“We don’t have Sister Ray this time,” Reeves adds in, and turns to Cloud and Vincent. “We already know how to gauge Ruby and Ultimate, but we’ve never witnessed Sapphire’s abilities, and we have little on Diamond.”

“Killin’ ‘em isn’t ta problem if they’re usin’ someone as a core,” Cid speaks up. “If what Cloud and dem are sayin’ is true then what’ll happen when those clones take another person? We can’t just let ‘em die even if that’s fuckin’ brat.” Reno’s sharp blue eyes snap to Cid’s. The pilot grins, and takes his cigarette out of his mouth, and puts it in the ashtray.

“That brat is the reason why two of those Weapons were dead, and why Edge is being rebuilt.” Yuffie shakes her head. Idiot boys will start fights over nothing.

“Look, we have ta have a plan otherwise there’ll be no Planet.”

“Why Rufus though?” questions Tifa.

“I have a theory,” Vincent begins, “I’ve been hearing about these Remnants along my travels. They’ve asked questions about Weapons, Shinra and other oddities. Rufus represents the very company that created Sephiroth and experimented on Jenova. Makes sense that he’s their first target.” Reno slams his hand down unto the table.

“What are ya sayin’? That they’ll kill him?” Vincent shakes his head.

“Why don’t they bond themselves to the Weapons?” Cloud adds in. “Wouldn’t it be easier that way than kidnapping people?” Highly skilled people no less.

“They’re planning something big,” Vincent says, “if their goal is to use someone to awaken the Weapons then they have to be someone vital.”

“The Remnants aren’t linked to Jenova’s or Sephiroth’s deaths,” Nanaki interjects. “I’ve kept an eye on Ultimate’s body. I’ve seen them, but they’ve never caused a disturbance. Some of my people have spoken with them. Curious like children, but more so on who the victors are.” Everyone looks to Cloud and Vincent.

“Do you think they’ll try to come after us then?” Cloud asks, hoping that the answer is something other than ‘yes’.

“The only good thing about this situation is no one outside us know where Emerald and Sapphire are. They might turn to a more creative way,” Barret discloses.

“I doubt it’s worse than Hojo,” Vincent jokes, resulting in a couple of chuckles from Cloud and Nanaki. Over the past two years, the three bonded, and exchanged the horror stories of being Hojo’s experiments. It was only appropriate some dark humor came from it.

“Regardless, the Planet created five Weapons to defend itself so it would be reasonable to think the Sephiroth clones would need all five to have another Reunion,” Reeve theorizes. “They would need five important people. If we exclude Cloud and Vincent--”

But can you do it again?

Cloud turns his head towards the door.

Can you defeat him again?

Ignoring the concern looks from Barret and Tifa, Cloud exits the bar. There are several kids playing outside.

Can you defeat Ultimate again?

Cloud critically eyes the children. They’re too young to know that the spiky hair man making local deliveries is the very one to slayed Sephiroth, Ultimate Weapon, and helped save the Planet from Meteor. They couldn’t possibly know how empowered he felt when standing on Bahamut ZERO’s shoulder, and charging at Ultimate.

But do they know what you’ve done to get that power?

That voice… it’s familiar, but Cloud can’t place it. It sounds like a little boy, but it’s not Denzel or any other male child Cloud sees running around. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Cloud re-enters the bar.

“Hojo is the last one who read Professor Gast’s reports on the Weapons,” Reeve acknowledges, rubbing his temples. “Shinra’s already searched through the house in Icicle Inn, and there’s nothing we haven’t seen. As far as we know, the secret died with him and Hojo.” Reno and Rude exchange a glance. Rude raises an eyebrow as Reno’s face scrunches up, and he groans.

“Fuck, we know someone who may know somethin’ or another ‘bout weaponry,” Reno comments, stealing a cigarette from Cid’s pack.

“Scarlet and Heidegger,” Rude finishes. Reno lights up the cigarette with a lighter from his pocket.

“Least it’s not fucking Palmer,” Cid thanks.

~.~.~

Scarlet supposes she deserved this, but she didn’t give a damn then, and she sure as fuck doesn’t give one now. Two years and some deaths later, she rules Corel Prison with a delicate hand (she just painted her nails, and didn’t want to chip them) fit for the former Shinra Head of Weapons Development. Though, she had to trade in her lovely red dress for some denim shorts and a red tank top, Scarlet’s abilities as a very attractive, ambitious and cruel woman is never to be undermined. After all, she did kill Mr. Coates, and with that ugly gold necklace no less. She had his body dumped in the desert, and watched as a Land Worm dug it under the sands.

Heidegger, alive and well, is her right hand man. Not one to be a follower, his adjustment took a while, but both agreed that his presence was more frightening as a second-in-command than a head. She had the brains while he the brawns, and oh, what brawns. Life as a Shinra employee made him large in fat, now replaced with muscle needed to survive the heat of the desert. Scarlet once saw him bust a man’s head against a pipe. Heidegger didn’t laugh, and kept silent. Scars decorate his arms and face, and it was rumored that he bit the head of a Cactuar off without plucking the needles.

The summer weather bears down on the occupants of Corel Prison, and each week it slowly grew. They relied on the two former Shinra employees to take of gang problems, Land Worms and anything else that would cause immediate death. Heidegger kept the peace and eliminated the threats. The guards didn’t ask questions, and didn’t want to know the answers. They’ve witnessed what the man could do, and were more than happy to simply exchange messages between Scarlet and Dio. 

Anyone who had the unfortunate luck to be on their bad side walked the plains of the desert only to die of dehydration or Land Worms. Anyone living in Corel Prison knew there was another being among the plains, and that was Ruby Weapon. The local crazies whisper about the Weapon being alive, and would wake up to find its head. 

Ruby. Ruby. Swallows all.  
Ruby. Ruby. Wants the golden claw.

Scarlet aided these rumors to keep the prisoners in line, but she would never voice that she feared the Weapon nor felt like it was truly alive even with a decapitated head sitting up in Gold Saucer. But, that didn’t matter. Right now, she was in her truck trailer office with a lackey using a thin and torn piece of wood to fan her.

It was the late afternoon, and was peaceful before a short man dares enter her office. Frog-like, he’d been caught trying to steal from Dio, and even went as far as lying and turning in his comrades to get a lesser sentence. Nobody trusted him, and the only reason Scarlet kept him alive was he was one hell of a scavenger. 

“The guard at the ele’ator ‘ants ta see ya Boss,” the man mumbles out, shaking. “Heard some important stuff like Shinra.” Scarlet and Heidegger exchange a glance. Only a handful of people knew the two were alive, and they were top Shinra employees. Of course, Dio and head of security knew, and some of the criminals down here guessed who they were, but it wasn’t important for criminals to know. After all, no one had won a chocobo race since Cloud and company did two years prior. 

Scarlet sighs dramatically, and stands up. She misses her heels, and strolls gracefully out of the trailer. Her second-in-command not far behind. As they stroll to the elevator, Scarlet spares a glance in Ruby’s direction. It hadn’t moved in two years, and she wonders if there’s a connection between the visit and this. Once at the elevator, two guards escorted the prisoners in. Inside were two more guards, and one of them flips the switch for the elevator to move up.

Scarlet crosses her arms beneath her breasts, and smirks. One of the guards, a newbie, shakes with fear as Heidegger peers at the shorter guy. It takes only a few minutes for the elevator to come to a halt, and a few more before Scarlet and Heidegger enter the jockey room through the back door. Vincent is leaning against the right wall, Reeves sitting at the table with Cloud standing behind him. Barret is standing a little ways in front of Cloud. Oh, this wasn’t what Scarlet expected at all.

She and Heidegger stand at the opposite end.

“Kya ha ha, it’s been far too long Reeves,” Scarlet speaks first. Reeves eyes her, and even though her skin has darken, and she bares no jewelry, he notes distastefully that Scarlet will always be Scarlet.

“Scarlet, you haven’t changed a bit,” he remarks, sitting straight in his chair.

“Like your opinion of me matters at all. It didn’t then, and doesn’t now.” Heidegger nods his head, crossing his arms over his chest, but his is far more intimidating. Barret and he eye each other.

“You’re gonna want his opinion on this matter,” Cloud suggests.

“Tell us about the Weapons,” Barret shoots out, wanting to not be in the same room as Scarlet. It may have been two years, but the anger and hatred towards the bitch hadn’t changed. 

“No,” she simply states. “We can dance around this whole I either know something or nothing, but you wouldn’t come here without being positive that I knew something about those Weapons. We know each other better than that Reeves.”

“Your kink for mass destruction surely motivated you to find something all those years ago,” the Head of Urban Development says. Scarlet doesn’t even have the decency to blush, but the shining look in her eyes tell all. Sister Ray, and the mako shells that pierced through Diamond, and destroyed the Northern Cave barrier were of her creations so hadn’t the Remnants grabbed Scarlet instead of Rufus? 

“I want our freedom.” Cloud and Reeves display their shock. “We have no money, no name, and certainty no power. What could we do against Shinra now? Especially with the famous Saviors of the Planet on your side.” Reeves pulls out a sealed envelope from his jacket pocket.

“We can only guarantee a reduction.”

“Full pardon.”

“Have you forgotten the state of your crimes?”

“Kya ha ha ha, oh dear Reeves, I haven’t. I’m only sorry I didn’t do worse.” Barret growls, and takes a step forward.

“Has Corel Prison done fuckin’ nothin’ to remind ya of the chaos you’ve caused?!” he shouts. “It’s cause of folks like yall that the Planet almost died!” Heidegger takes a step forward.

“And we would do it again,” the prisoner says. “That was one thing President Shinra understood.” Not Rufus. Never Rufus. The former President Shinra who started this mess.

“Power is everything. If money couldn’t fix the problem, then, well--” Scarlet tells, her smirk spreading wide across her mouth.

“The dead can’t speak, but they sure leave a hell of a message.” The glints in their eyes spoke more volumes on why these two, nearly complete opposites, got along so terribly well than anyone else could explain. They got off on destruction, fear, and death.

The guards couldn’t react in time. Barret and Heidegger charged at each other, and began fist fighting. Scarlet removes a pistol from her knee-high boots, and points the barrel at Reeves. Vincent flashes next to Scarlet, his own Death Penalty pressed against her right temple. Cloud quickly pushes Reeves behind him, withdrawing Fusion Sword #1 and holding in a very SOLDIER-ese fashion. Barret throws Heidegger over the shoulder, and the floor shakes. The room is silent, and there’s a standstill.

Without words, both parties back off. Scarlet’s pistol is confiscated, and cuffs are placed on her wrists, and the guards guide her towards the door. She abruptly halts, and turns to stare at Reeves. She isn’t angry or even slightly pissed. No. She’s happy, and the gleeful look in her eyes is frightening.

“What do you plan on doing about the Extermination?”

Nobody says a word as the two prisoners are escorted out. Scarlet’s and Heidegger’s laughter echoing in the hallways and the jockey room. 

~.~.~

Bone Village is a relatively quiet place to excavate. The researchers got along well enough though they couldn’t venture too deep into the Sleeping Forest otherwise they would get lost as Cloud had found the Lunar Harp, and kept it. Seriously, how were they suppose to continue their studies if they couldn’t find another Lunar Harp?

A large shadow overcasts the village, and lands on the outskirt of the forest. The researchers cannot help, but gawk at the large creature. They watch in fascination as it turns, and begins to walk towards them. They talk amongst themselves, and strangely do not fear the idea of this large white creature hurting them.

The creature extends its left hand out to its near the ledge where the researchers stand on. A man in an ugly parrot button-up and cheap pants steps off of the hand. His entire left arm is set ablazed, but he doesn’t bother him. The researchers want to approach, and ask questions, but none of them dare too. Rufus glances between them, and points to the only researcher in a dark green uniform.

“This is Bone Village, correct?” he says. The researcher nods his head. 

“Y-Yes, Sir. It is also the entryway to the Forgotten Capital.”

“Do you have anything of value here?”

“N-None that would interest you, Sir.” Rufus lifts up his hand, and points it at the man.

“I see.”

Nobody can take this power away from you.

Then, in a beautiful swirl and demonstration of power, Bone Village and the Sleeping Forest are swept away in flames. Yazoo can hear Rufus’ laugh, and that pleases the Remnant. Diamond Weapon roars in agreement.

~.~.~

Dio has tried, in his own very disrespectful manner, to make a grandeur tourist attraction of Ruby’s corpse and head. He is the only one who dares to touch Ruby’s head, and places it in his museum. Only those who’ve purchased a 50,000 Gil Rubian Gold Ticket could not only come and go Gold Saucer as they please, but also have unlimited access to seeing Ruby’s head. In the beginning, this brought many spectators and Gil. 

Once rumors of how visitors were getting sick, and even hospitalized, janitors and other staff members dying from unknown diseases, people quit coming, and many wanted the head gone for good. Dio swallowed his pride enough to seal the head in a room behind the museum. Three months later, sales were back up; it was easy to forget the terror and horror Ruby brought only months prior.

In contrast, nobody dared approached Ruby’s body. Corel Prison and Gold Saucer already suffering enough when Ruby was actually alive and stalking the desert plains. As such, it goes unnoticed as the sand turns black, and the tentacles begin twitching.

~.~.~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAHHHHH It’s finally done! What do you think? Is it getting better? Is it? I need validation v-v


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